Tone-modulator for phonographs



TONE MODULATGR FOR P HONOGHAPHS. APPLlcATloN FILED nEc. 12. 1918.

Patented May 4, 1920.

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FREDERICK MYERS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND. MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO MYERSl PHONOGRAPH CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TONE-MODULATOR' FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1920.

Application filed December 12, 1918. Serial No. 266,384.

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Be it known that I, FREDERICK MYERs, a citizen ofthe United States, and a resident of' New York, in the county of `New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tone- Modulators for Phonographs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in phonographs, especially thoseusing flat disk records, and has as its special object to provide means whereby'the issuing sounds may be increased or diminished in volume at the will of the operator and in a positive manner.

Another object is to provide a tone modulator of novel design that can be applied to any of the usual types of talking machines without detracting from their appearance, and ata moderate cost.

rlhese and other like objects are attained by the novel construction and combination ofl parts hereinafter described and'shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a material partof this disclosure, and in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a conventional type4 of phonograph showing an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 4:-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the tone arm stand and connected parts, and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the tone arm engaging sleeve. ,v

In the drawings the level, flat top lof the phonograph casing is .indicated by the nuw meral 10, said casing containing mechanism for rotating the spindle 11 and turn-table 12, on which is disposed the records to be played.

A needle 14 is mounted as usual in the head or sound box 15, containing the diaphragm, the sound passing therefrom into and through a tubular chamber 17 engaged with a conical tubular arm 18.

At the outer, larger end of the arm 18 is formed a short longitudinal recess 20, tersection of a sleeve 28, said bar being secured tol said sleeve by pivot screws 29 in such manner that the arm 18 may be raised, together with the needle, in a convenient manner.

The interior of the sleeve 28 and surface 2G of the bar 25 normally engage with the exterior of a cylindrical shell 30, having a partially closed top 31, its lower' end being tightly engaged in an annulus 32 extending up from a bracket 33, having an extension 34 passing through the cover 10. i

This bracket is formed withy a fiat extension 85 and is secured to the cover by screws 86. At the end of the extension isa raised boss 38 to which is fitted a screw 39, acting as a pivot for the hub 40 of a lever 4:1, having an offset handle @l2 extending closely adjacent to the cover 10 and separated therefrom by a felt pad 13 which acts to restrain the lever against free movement.

Carried at the opposite end of the lever L11 is a gear segment 45, its teeth meshing with corresponding teeth on a segment 46 fixed upon a ring or band 47, rotatably mounted on the annulus 32, the latter having init a slot 48 through which passes the point of a screw 49, set in the band 47, to limit the movement of the band and at the same time transmit rotary motion therefrom to the shell 80. r

A block 50 of cork or like soft, elastic material, having a beveled uppersurface 51, is fixed in the shell 30, which, by action of the handle 13, maybe rotated so as to either partially, or wholly, cover the passage through the arm 24, thereby interrupting the sound.

From the foregoing it will be seen that an effective and easily operated tone modulator has been described, together with the manner of its application and use, and it will be evident that the construction shown is merely illustrative, permitting modification' to be made Without departing from the general scope of the appended claims.

Havin thus described my invention, what Iv c aim as new, and desire to secure by LettersV Patent, is y l. In a device of the class described, the combination with a phonograph having a hollow tone arm, a casing, and a tubular vertical support for said arm extending up from said casing, of a rotary plug mounted within said support adjacent the outlet of said tone-arm and adapted to control the sound passage through said support, and a lever pivoted on a fixed part of the machine for actuating said plug.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a tubular tone arm support', of. a shell rotatable in said support, a pliablevplug in said shell adaptedto control the sound passage through said support, a sleeve 'circumjacent to said support, a segmental gear on said sleeve, a lever pivoted on a vertical axis, a segmental gear on said lever engaging with the first named gear, and means for manually operating said lever, whereby said plug may be turned.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a phonograph, a casing thereforv and a tone arm, of a hollow stand upon which said tone arm is mounted to rotate on a vertical axis, a cylindrical shell rotatable in said stand, a sleeve rotatable on said stand, operative connections between said shell and sleeve, a plug in said shell, said plug being adapted to act as a shutter for the passage through said stand, a lever pivoted on said casing having a handle portion extending therebeyond, and an operative connection between the inner end of said lever and said sleevewhereby the latter may be partially rotated.

4. In a device vof the class described, the combination with a phonograph having a casing and a hollow tone arm stand extending above said casing, of a sectional sleeve rotatable on said stand, one section of said sleeve being pivoted on a horizontal aXis on the other section, a tubular extension formedwith said pivoted section, and a tone arm engageable with said extension.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a tone-arm, a tubular support therefor, and a rotary plug extending longitudinally within said support adjacent the outlet of said tone-arm.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of a tone-arm, a tubular support therefor, and a rotary plug mounted within said support and having a beveled end adjacent the outlet of said tonearm.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination of a tone-arm, a tubular support therefor, a rotary valve plug within said tohe-arm and movably mounted in said support, and means for operating said valve plug mounted on a fixed part of the machine whereby the same may be adjusted while the machine isl in operation without interfering with the operation of said tonearm.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination of a tone-arm, a tubular support therefor, valve means extending dongitudinally within said tone-arm' kand movably mounted in said support, and means exteriorly of said tone-arm for adjusting said valve means.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination of a tone-arm, a tubular support therefor, valve means within said tone-arm and movably mounted in said support, a sleeve on said support operatively connected to said valve means, and means to rotate said sleeve and thereby adjust said valve means.

l0. In a device of the character described, the combination of a tone-arm, a tubular support therefor, valve means within said tone-arm and movably mounted in said support, a sleeve on said support operatively connected to said valve means, gear teeth on said sleeve, and a sector' in mesh with said teeth for moving said sleeve and thereby adjusting said valve means.

ll. In device of the character described, the combination of a tone-arm, a tubular support therefor, a shellV rotatable in said support and extending Vwithin said tonearm, valve means carried by said shell, and means to rotate said shell and thereby adjust said valve means.

l2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a tone-arm, a tubular support therefor, a shell rotatable in said support and extending within said tonearm, valve means carried by said shell, means rotatable with respect to said support for rotating said shell and thereby adjusting said valve means, and a lever -for rotating said last-named means.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FREDERICKMY'ERS. 

